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Lesson 1: Me As a Tree
NUTSHELL
In this classroom lesson, students learn how trees and humans are similar. Students
use comparisons between humans and trees to understand a tree’s functions, life
stages, role in the forest community, and that they compete for basic needs.

ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS LESSON/ACTIVITY TIME

• A tree is a perennial plant (lives Total Lesson Time: 135 minutes
more than one growing season) with • Introduction......................10 minutes
a well-defined woody stem, crown, • Activity 1..........................30 minutes
and roots. • Activity 2..........................30 minutes
• Trees compete for nutrients, sunlight, • Activity 3..........................30 minutes
space, and water. • Activity 4..........................20 minutes
• Trees have life stages that include • Conclusion.......................15 minutes
germination, growth, maturity,
reproduction, decline,
and death. STANDARDS CONNECTIONS
• As part of the forest community, Standards for this lesson can be viewed
trees have various roles (e.g., online at the LEAF website
providing habitat, holding soil). The (www.leafprogram.org).
presence of trees alters the
surrounding environment. FIELD ENHANCEMENT
CONNECTIONS
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS This lesson closely ties with Field
• How are the basic needs of trees Enhancement 3, Competition in a Forest.
and humans similar or different?
• How are the life stages of trees and
humans similar or different? BACKGROUND INFORMATION
OBJECTIVES Parts of a Tree
A tree is defined as a perennial plant
Upon completion of this lesson,
with a well-defined woody stem,
students will be able to:
crown, and roots. Although trees are
• Draw and explain the parts of a
members of the plant kingdom, these
tree and their functions.
three features make them distinct
• Compile a list of basic needs of a tree.
from other plants. Each feature
• Explain that trees compete for
performs a different function for the
their basic needs.
tree.
• Illustrate and explain the life stages of a
tree. TRUNK
• Differentiate functions of a tree in a The woody stem, or trunk, sets trees apart
forest community. from other plants. The trunk provides support
for the branches and leaves. It also acts as
SUBJECT AREAS the food and water connection between the
Arts, Science, Social Studies leaves and roots.

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Within the trunk are many layers. These MATERIALS LIST

layers perform functions for the tree.
For Each Student
• Heartwood forms the central core of Copy of Student Page 1, Trees and Humans
the tree and is made of dense, dead Copy of Student Page 2, Inside a Tree
wood. The heartwood provides
strength for the tree. For Each Pair of Students
• Xylem carries water and nutrients Copy of Student Page 3, Life Stages Picture Cards
absorbed from the soil by the roots to Copy of Student Page 4, Trees’ Roles
the leaves. The word comes from the (optional)
Greek xulon which means “wood.” Crayons or colored pencils
• Cambium is the growing part of the trunk. Scissors
This thin layer produces cells that
become xylem and phloem. For the Teacher
• Phloem carries sugars and other Marker board
carbohydrates created during The following pages to project
photosynthesis from the leaves to the Student Page 1, Trees and Humans
rest of the tree. The word comes from Student Page 2, Inside a Tree
the Greek phloos which means “bark.” Teacher Page A3, Basic Needs of Trees and Humans
• Bark is the outermost layer that Teacher Page A5, Life Stages of a Human/Life Stages
protects the tree from injury. Student Page 4, Trees’ Roles
(optional)
CROWN Teacher Key Ak1, Trees and Humans Key
The crown of a tree is composed of leaves andTeacher Key Ak2, Inside a Tree Key
branches. It is where photosynthesis takes Teacher Key Ak4, Basic Needs of Trees and Humans
place. Leaves gather energy from sunlight andTeacher Page A6, Tree Trivia Questions
carbon dioxide from the air and then combine
them with water. Photosynthesis is the process
trees use
to make sugars, the energy for tree
growth. The sugars created by the leaves
in the crown are stored in the branches,
trunk, and roots.

ROOTS
A tree’s unseen root system may have
more mass than the visible top portion of
the tree. A tree’s roots usually grow even
farther out from the trunk than its
branches. They lie just below the surface
of the ground in the top 18 inches of the
soil. The structure of a root system is
complex. Root systems consist of large, “Be like a tree. The tree gives sha
woody roots that grow out from the trunk N Sri Chaitanya N
and huge numbers of small roots growing
out from the large ones. The large roots
serve as anchors to keep the tree
standing, provide energy storage
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for times when the tree isn’t making
sugars, and gather nutrients and water for
the rest of the tree. The small roots that
grow from the large roots are responsible
for absorbing water and nutrients from the
soil.

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VOCABULARY TERMS Basic Needs of a Tree

Bark: The outermost layer on a tree’s Trees and other plants have five things
trunk that protects the tree from injury. that they need in order to survive:
Cambium: The growing part of the nutrients, sunlight, water, air, and space.
trunk of a tree. This thin layer between NUTRIENTS
the xylem and phloem produces cells Trees use nutrients (minerals) from
that become new xylem and phloem. the soil to build the materials that
Competition: The struggle that exists make up the tree.
among plants or trees to acquire These nutrients help the tree to survive,
resources from a limited pool. grow, and reproduce.

Decline: The part of a tree’s life when it SUNLIGHT

becomes less healthy and does not Sunlight is the form of energy that trees
recover. use to complete the process of
photosynthesis. In order for trees to
Germination: The beginning growth convert carbon dioxide and water into
of a seed when roots and a stem sugars (and other carbohydrates), they
sprout. need energy from the sun.

Heartwood: The central core of a tree WATER

made of dense, dead wood. The Water is key to photosynthesis. Water is
heartwood provides strength for the also important to the tree for
tree. transportation of nutrients. It’s water that
makes up most of the tree’s sap. Sap
Maturity: The part of a tree’s life when carries nutrients up the trunk and food
noticeable growth slows and it can back down to the roots.
begin reproduction.
AIR
Phloem: The layer in the trunk of a tree All plants need air to survive. It is
that carries sugars (food energy) from the air that plants get the
created during photosynthesis from the carbon dioxide for photosynthesis.
leaves to the rest of the tree. Phloem is Without air in the soil, roots would
also called inner bark. “drown.”
Reproduction: The part of a tree’s life SPACE
when it produces seeds. Space is the least tangible of the basic
Transpiration: The evaporation of needs. It is important for students to know
water from plants. that trees can’t grow to their potential
when they are crowded. Root systems need
Xylem: The layer in the trunk of a room to grow, as do branches, leaves, and
tree that carries water and nutrients stems.
absorbed from the soil by the roots to
the leaves. It is located between the The Life of a Tree
heartwood and the cambium layer. The life of a tree can be divided into six
stages: germination, growth, maturity,
reproduction, decline, and death.
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The first stage of a tree’s life begins with a Altering of Environment

seed. When a seed has the right Trees have various functions in their
temperature, moisture, and soil, it will community.
germinate (sprout). Out of the seed comes They absorb carbon dioxide and produce
a young tree called a seedling. oxygen during photosynthesis. Since
many trees live for a long time, they act
The seedling that emerged during
as “carbon sinks” to store carbon.
germination will continue its life through
Another function is transpiration.
growth and then on to maturity. A
mature tree is capable of
reproduction. Many tree species are
capable of living for many generations of
human life; their lives are much longer
than ours. A tree can be mature and
reproductive for many years.

Eventually a tree will move on to a part in

its life called decline. Decline can be a
result of old age or some other factor like
disease, insect damage, or storm damage.
Decline in the health of a tree will lead,
someday, to the death of that tree.

Competition
Competition occurs when two or more
individuals attempt to use a resource that
meets their basic needs. Animals compete
for things like food and shelter. Plants
create their own food so they don’t
compete for it, but they do compete for
water, space, sunlight, and nutrients. When
the resources that supply basic needs for
plants or animals are abundant, there is
little competition. When those resources
are not readily available, both plants and
animals compete. For example, there is
little competition for sunlight in an open
area with a few trees. However, if there are
many trees in an area, they will compete
with each other to grow tall enough to
collect more sunlight.
Competition can occur among individuals
within a population or between different
species.

Functions in Community and

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Trees absorb water from the soil and release
water vapor into the atmosphere. Trees also
provide habitat for animals and plants in
their branches and in hollows in their trunks.
The seeds, leaves, and bark of trees are also
used as food by animals. The many roots of
trees help hold soil and prevent erosion.

It is easy to see how people alter the

environment, but trees can alter the
environment too. The shade a tree casts will
determine what plants are able to live
beneath it. If a tree has dense shade, sun-
loving plants will not grow under it. In turn,
animals that rely on sun-loving plants will be
absent as well. That same shade will also
change the temperature in the community.
Trees impact the moisture content of the soil,
which also changes the types of plants able
to grow there. Some trees have the ability to
give off chemicals that discourage other
plants from living near them.
Black walnut is an example of a tree in
Wisconsin that can control other species with
chemicals.

PROCEDURE
Introduction - Comparisons
1. Begin by showing students pictures of
trees or observing actual trees in the
schoolyard. Ask students to make
comparisons between different trees. (One
tree has dark brown bark and another has light
brown; one tree has leaves and another has
needles, etc.)

2. Next, ask students to compare trees

with people and provide examples of
what
they have in common and why. (Accept
any reasonable responses. People have legs
and arms, and trees have branches.) Ask
what makes trees and people different.
(Trees can’t move; trees have green leaves, etc.,
again accepting reasonable answers.)

3. Explain that, in the next activities,

students will be comparing trees and
humans.

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Activity 1 - Trees and Humans 6. Then, ask volunteers for their answers and
1. Tell students that they will be write them on the sheet to be projected.
comparing the parts of a tree to the (See Teacher Key Ak2, Inside a Tree Key.)
parts of a human
and discussing how these parts have
similar functions. Display Student Page
1, Trees and Humans, and distribute a
copy of the page to each student.

2. Explain that all of the choices for the

parts are listed at the bottom of the
page and
students should write them in the
blanks. Each numbered part on the tree
diagram corresponds with a numbered
part on the human diagram with a
similar function. The functions are
listed on the left side of the page as
clues to determining what the parts
are.

3. Once students have completed their

worksheets, have them help you fill in
the blanks on the projected copy. As you
fill in each pair of numbers, explain more
about the function
that corresponds with the number. (See
Teacher Key Ak1, Trees and Humans
Key.)

4. After completing discussion of Student

Page
1, Trees and Humans, point out that just
as veins and arteries in humans have
specialized jobs (veins transport blood
containing waste and arteries transport
blood containing oxygen), the xylem and
phloem in a tree
have specialized jobs too.

5. Display Student Page 2, Inside a Tree,

and hand out a copy of the page to each
student. Tell students that the job of
xylem, phloem, and other layers of a
tree are described on this handout. Have
students read the description of the tree
layers and write the answers in
the blanks.
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 2. Ask students what the basic needs of a
tree are and fill in their answers on the
EXTENSION: Weave forestry projected page in the triangle titled
education throughout your “Basic Needs of a Tree.” (See Teacher
curriculum and strengthen Key Ak4, Basic Needs of Trees and
language arts skills by
Humans Key.) Explain why things like
having students journal their food and shelter are not basic needs of
thoughts. After each activity, trees if those answers are given. (Trees
assign students to make create their own food and don’t
journal entries that relate to need shelter.)
the activity. Prompt them
with questions to answer.
For example, assign
students to write a one-page
journal entry
of their life as if they were a
tree. They should describe the
important tree features and
what those features do.

Activity 2 - Basic
Needs of Trees and
Humans
1. Explain to students that trees and
humans
both have basic needs. Basic
needs are things that an
organism must have in order
to survive. Display Teacher
Page A3, Basic Needs of Trees
and Humans. Ask students
what the basic needs of a
human are. Fill in their
answers on the projected
Teacher Page A3, Basic Needs
of Trees and Humans,
in the triangle titled “Basic Needs of a
Human.”
(See Teacher Key Ak4,
Basic Needs of Trees and
Humans Key.) Explain why
nutrients and sunlight are
not basic needs of humans
if those answers are given.
(Although people need
nutrients, we get
those things from food, which is
a basic need. Sunlight provides
us with vitamin D, but it is not
the only source. Nutrients and
sunlight become secondary to
the basic need for food.)

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3. Ask students to make comparisons A5, Life Stages of a Human/Life Stages

between the two and write the of a Tree. (Germination, growth, maturity,
similarities on the reproduction, decline, death.)
third triangle.
3. Pass out one copy of Student Page
4. Make two headings on the board: 3, Life Stages Picture Cards, to
“Trees” and “Humans.” Tell students each pair of
they are going to list the basic needs
that trees or humans compete for.
Define competition if needed. Have
students study the triangles that show
the basic needs of a human and of a
tree. Ask students which of these things
humans or trees compete for.
Remind students that trees are not
mobile
like humans. They cannot move to a new
area if something is lacking. Write
students’ ideas on the board. (The tree list
should include nutrients, sunlight, water, and
space. All of these can be limiting to a tree’s
growth because they are not always in
abundance. Air is plentiful and does not need
to be competed for. The human list may
contain food, water, and space. Depending on
the type of society a person lives in, these
items may not be in abundance.)

Activity 3 - Life Stages

1. Tell students that they will now
compare the life stages of a tree and
a human. Have
students work in pairs to list the steps in
the life of a human. Give students five to
10 minutes to come up with ideas and
write them on a piece of paper. After the
time is up, have groups share ideas. Use
the top half of Teacher Page A5, Life
Stages of a Human/Life Stages
of a Tree, to list ideas and then explain
the
stages. (Birth, growth, maturity, reproduction,
decline, death.) NOTE: Cover the bottom
portion until students brainstorm the life
stages of a tree in the next step.

2. Repeat the above steps with a tree

using the bottom half of Teacher Page
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 students. Have students cut apart the
squares and draw and color each life stage
of a
tree and of a human. Remind students
that pictures must be classroom
appropriate and easily understood by
others. When students are finished, collect
the two sets of cards from each group.
NOTE: This portion of the activity could be
given as homework.

4. Next, students will be playing a game

called PIT using the Life Stages Picture
Cards they created.

DIRECTIONS FOR PIT:

a. Make sure that you have a complete
set of human and tree life stage cards
for each pair of students.
b. Shuffle all the human and tree life
stage cards the class created.
c. Designate an area in the center of the
room to be the PIT.
d. Pass out any 12 cards to each group.
e. Explain that when you say “GO,” each
group is to put the cards in the correct
order of the life stages of a tree and
human. Each group will try to complete
two separate
life stage sets, one for the tree and one
for the human.
f. If a group has doubles of a card, they
need to go to the PIT area to exchange
their duplicate card(s) with someone
from another group. They may only
trade with
a group that has the same number of
cards to trade. (If a group has three
cards, they can only trade with another
group with three cards. If no one at the
PIT has the same number, they must
wait until someone with three cards
comes to the PIT.) They may not look at
the card(s) being traded until they return
back to their partner.
g. The first group to create both a human
and tree life stage set wins.

5. After you have a winner, give all the

groups time to create complete human
and tree life stages. Go through the
correct answers.

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Activity 4 - Tree’s Roles Conclusion - Tree Trivia

1. Have students brainstorm their roles in 1. Finish the lesson with a game of Tree
the school community. (Possible Trivia. Tell students they will need to
answers include: act as a role model to draw from all the information they
younger students, be a friend to others, learned while comparing trees and
be a good student, be a hall monitor, be humans to answer the questions.
a member of Student Council, etc.) Also,
have students brainstorm a list of the 2. Divide the class into four teams. Let
roles others in the school play. (Janitor, each team choose a tree name (or
teacher, cook, principal.) assign them a name) and write it on
the board.
2. Hand out Student Page 4, Trees’ Roles,
or project it. Explain that the picture 3. Explain the rules.
shows examples of many roles trees a. The first team will be asked a
have in the forest community. Have question. (See Teacher Page A6,
students study the picture and Tree Trivia Questions.)
determine as many of these roles as b. They are allowed only one answer.
possible. Make a list of the trees’ roles The group should discuss their
on the board. (Provide food, provide habitat, final answer before giving it to
prevent erosion by holding soil, provide shade, you.
produce oxygen.) c. If they answer correctly, they get five
points. If they answer incorrectly, the
3. Have students think back to the roles next team has the opportunity to
they and the other people they listed answer the question for three points.
play in the school community. Ask d. After points have been given for the
them what they think might happen if first question, the second team should
these roles weren’t filled. be asked the second question, and so
(If they were not good students, their grades on.
would go down and they wouldn’t learn. e. Continue asking questions, ensuring
If they did not fill school responsibilities, each group gets the same number.
someone else would have to do them or no f. The team with the most points
one would do them and the school would at the end wins.
run less smoothly, be less safe, etc. If the
teachers weren’t there, the students wouldn’t
learn. If the janitor wasn’t there, the garbage NOTES
would pile up and the halls wouldn’t be swept.)
Now ask what they think might happen if
trees did not fill their roles in the forest
community. (The animals would not have
food or shelter.
Water sources would become polluted and
dirty. There would be less oxygen in the air.
There would be less shade.)

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CAREERS NOTES
The career profile in this lesson is about Jim
Storandt, Tree Nursery Manager, Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources and is found
on page 24. Use this profile to enhance the
lesson and/or use it with the special careers
lesson on page 148.

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT
1. Apply understanding of the functions of a tree
by having students compare the functions of a
tree to another animal or plant.

2. Invent a tree that could survive with a different

set of basic needs than the regular tree. What
would those basic needs be? Where would
this tree live? How could this tree contribute to
its community?

SOURCES
Cunningham, W. P., & Woodworth Saigo,
B. (2001). Environmental Science: A Global
Concern. Madison: McGraw-Hill Higher
Education.

Helms, J. A. (1998). The Dictionary of Forestry.

Bethesda: The Society of American Foresters.

Solomon, E. P., Berg, L. R., & Martin, D.

W. (1999). Biology: Fifth Edition. Orlando:
Harcourt Brace College Publishers.

Talk About Trees. World Wide Web:

www.talkabouttrees.org/lessons.html

“Learn character from

trees, values from
roots,
and change from
leaves.”

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Career Profile
Jim Storandt, Tree Nursery Manager
This is Jim Storandt. Jim manages
Jim says that one of his favorite things
Griffith State Nursery in Wisconsin
about his job is that he gets to do
Rapids. Jim’s job is to decide what
different things in different seasons.
should be done and when it should
He also likes that he is helping
be done in order to grow seven
improve the forests
million new trees every year! He
of Wisconsin.
also supervises the other people
who work at the nursery. The trees If you want to work in a tree
that Jim and his staff grow are sold nursery like Jim, he says you
to people who own land in Wisconsin should “take an
that they want to plant trees on. interest in how plants grow, how the
There are two other state tree seed develops, and try growing
nurseries like Jim’s in Wisconsin. them.” He also suggests that you
One is in Boscobel and the work on your math and writing
other is in Hayward. skills.
To get a job like this, Jim went to
college and studied water and soil.
He volunteered with the Peace
Corps for a while in Paraguay, in
South America, and learned about
growing trees. When he came back
to Wisconsin, he worked as an
assistant at the nursery before he
got the job as superintendent. Jim is
involved in other groups that
provide ideas to help him with his
job.

This is Jim (in circle) planting one of

the seedlings from his nursery.

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“Bet ween
every t wo
pines
is a door way to
a new world.”
N John Muir N

“Trees
indeed
have
hearts”
N Henry David Thoreau N

“You can’t have the

fruits without the
roots.”
Lesson 1: Me As a Tree N Page 14 N LEAF Guide 5-6 Unit
 N Stephen Covey N

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 TREES AND HUMANS KEY Ak

Leaves
3

Veins/Arteries
5

Lungs
3

Small Intestine
Bark 2
4 Trunk
1
Skin
Xylem/Phloem 4
5
1 Skeletal System

Roots
2

1. The trunk of a tree and the skeletal system The small roots absorb water and nutrients from the
of a human both provide support. Because soil.
the trunk of a tree is well-defined and
woody, it sets trees apart from other
plants. The trunk supports the branches
and leaves of a tree and forms a
connection between the leaves and the
roots.
2. The roots of a tree and the small intestine
of humans both absorb nutrients. Tree
roots usually grow farther out than the
tree’s branches and lie just below the
surface of the ground in the top nine
inches of soil. Root systems consist of
large, woody roots and huge numbers of
small roots. The large roots serve as
anchors to keep the tree standing, energy
storage for times when the tree isn’t
producing sugars, and paths for nutrients
and water to reach the rest of the tree.

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3. The leaves of a tree and the of a human both provide protection. Bark
lungs of a human are both places protects the tree from injury caused by
for gas exchange. Humans take insects, animals, other plants, and fire.
in oxygen and release carbon Bark characteristics vary from species to
dioxide. Trees take in carbon species.
dioxide and release oxygen.
5. The xylem and phloem of a tree and the
Leaves gather energy from
veins and arteries of a human all transport
sunlight along with the carbon
materials. Water, nutrients, and sugar
dioxide and combine them with
(food) must all be transported in a tree.
water. During this process called
The xylem and phloem are made of cells
photosynthesis, sugars that are
created by the tree each year. Old cells
the food energy for the tree are
die and remain part of the trunk of the
produced.
tree.
4. The bark of a tree and the skin
Teacher Key Ak1

Teacher Key Ak27

Lesson 1: Me As a Tree N Page 27 N LEAF Guide 5-6
 INSIDE A TREE KEY Ak
The letters on each diagram represent the same layer. Fill in the names of the layers from the
choices at the bottom of the page.
E B CD

A B E

A Heartwood
D
B Xylem

C Cambium

D Phloem

E Bark
Phloem: The phloem carries sugars created
during photosynthesis from the leaves to
the rest

of the tree. Phloem is also called inner injury. New bark is created from within
bark. the tree to replace old bark that is lost.

Heartwood: The heartwood forms the

central core of the tree and is made of
dense, dead wood. The heartwood provides
strength for the tree.

Bark: The bark protects the tree from

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Xylem: The xylem carries water and nutrients
absorbed from the soil by the roots to the
leaves. It is located between the heartwood
and the cambium layer.

Cambium: The cambium is the growing part

of the trunk. This thin layer between the
xylem and phloem produces cells that
become new xylem and phloem.

Teacher Key Ak29

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 BASIC NEEDS OF TREES AND HUMANS

Basic Needs of a Human

Basic Needs of a Tree

Similarities Bet ween Trees and Humans

Teacher Page
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 BASIC NEEDS OF TREES AND HUMANS KEY Ak

Food Shelter

Water Space

Basic Needs Air - O2

of a Human

Nutrients Sunlight

Water Space

Basic Needs Air - CO2

of a Tree

Water Space
Similarities Bet ween Trees and Humans
Air

HUMANS’ BASIC NEEDS TREES’ BASIC NEEDS

Food: Humans must find food; they cannot Nutrients: Most of the nutrients a tree needs
make it like trees can. are found in the soil. Roots absorb the
Water: Absorbed by the small intestine. nutrients and they are transported throughout
Humans can live about a month without the tree by the xylem.
food but only one week without water. Sunlight: Needed in the process of
Shelter: Humans need protection from photosynthesis to create sugars used by the
elements such as weather. Different types of tree as food.
shelter are created depending on the Water: Absorbed by the roots. Major
environment a person lives in. component of sap which carries nutrients
Space: Space is needed to move and and food.
exercise. A creature that does not have Space: Necessary for proper growth. A tree
enough space is more prone to obesity, needs space for its roots underground, as
boredom, and sickness. well as its branches and leaves
Air: Oxygen is necessary for healthy cell aboveground. If a tree is crowded and
functioning. Humans take in oxygen from the cannot get the nutrients and sunlight it
air and release carbon dioxide. requires, its growth will be stunted.
Air: Carbon dioxide is necessary for trees

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Lesson 1: Me As a Tree N Page 29 N LEAF Guide 5-6
to complete photosynthesis. Oxygen is
released as a byproduct of the process.

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Lesson 1: Me As a Tree N Page 28 N LEAF Guide 5-6
 1
6 2
LIFE STAGES OF A HUMAN

5 4 3

1
6 2
LIFE STAGES OF A TREE

5 4 3

Lesson 1: Me As a Tree N Page 31 N LEAF Guide 5-6

 TREE TRIVIA QUESTIONS

1....What is the function of the trunk of both compete for?

a Answer: Space, water
tree and the skeletal system of a
human? 11..The function of skin for humans is
Answer: Support protection. What part of trees
serves the same function?
2....What part of a tree absorbs Answer: Bark
nutrients?
Answer: Roots

3....This part of the tree carries sugars

from
the leaves to the rest of the tree.
Answer: Phloem

4....This forms the central core of a tree’s

trunk and is made up of dead wood.
Answer: Heartwood

5....This carries water and nutrients

from
the roots to the leaves.
Answer: Xylem

6....What part of the trunk grows new

cells?
Answer: Cambium

7....Name the basic needs of humans.

Answer: Air, space, shelter, food, water

8....Name the basic needs of trees.

Answer: Air, space, water, sunlight, nutrients

9....Name the three basic needs that

trees
and humans have in common.
Answer: Space, water, air

10..What t wo things do trees and

humans
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Lesson 1: Me As a Tree N Page 30 N LEAF Guide 5-6
12... The xylem and phloem in a tree Answer: Provides food, shade, habitat,
transport materials, just like what in prevents erosion, produces oxygen, etc.

humans?
17... This is the life stage that comes before
Answer: Veins and arteries
maturity for people and trees.
13... Gas exchange takes place where in Answer: Growth

humans and where in trees?

18... This is the outermost layer of the
Answer: Lungs, leaves
trunk.
Answer: Bark
14... The life stage when trees can produce
seeds is called what? 19... Why does a tree need sunlight?
Answer: Reproduction
Answer: To complete photosynthesis and
make food
15... The life stage of a tree that is similar
to the birth stage of humans is what? 20... The stage of life when a tree starts
Answer: Germination to lose leaves and is not as healthy
is what? Answer: Decline
16... Name t wo roles a tree has.

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Lesson 1: Me As a Tree N Page 31 N LEAF Guide 5-6

 TREES AND HUMANS

2
4
1

4
5
1

Tree/Human Parts
Write the tree/human parts below on the appropriate lines in the pictures above.

Trunk Xylem/ Skin Bark Roots

Phloem
Lungs Small Skeletal System Leaves Veins/
Intestine Arteries

Tree/Human Functions
Match numbers 1 through 5 in the pictures above to the functions below.

Protection Support Transport

Gas Exchange Nutrient Absorption

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Lesson 1: Me As a Tree N Page 32 N LEAF Guide 5-6
 INSIDE A TREE
The letters on each diagram represent the same layer. Fill in the names of the layers from the
choices at the bottom of the page.
E B CD

A B E

D
A

E
Phloem: The phloem carries sugars created
during photosynthesis from the leaves to
the rest of the tree. Phloem is also called Xylem: The xylem carries water and
inner bark. nutrients absorbed from the soil by the
roots to the leaves. It is located between
Heartwood: The heartwood forms the the heartwood and the cambium layer.
central core of the tree and is made of
dense, dead wood. The heartwood provides Cambium: The cambium is the growing
strength for the tree. part of the trunk. This thin layer between
the xylem and phloem produces cells that
Bark: The bark protects the tree from become new xylem and phloem.
injury. New bark is created from within the
tree to replace old bark that is lost.
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Lesson 1: Me As a Tree N Page 33 N LEAF Guide 5-6
 LIFE STAGES PICTURE CARDS

Birth Growth Maturit

y

Reproductio Decline Death

n

Germinatio Growth Maturit

n y

Reproductio Decline Death

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Lesson 1: Me As a Tree N Page 34 N LEAF Guide 5-6
n

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Lesson 1: Me As a Tree N Page 35 N LEAF Guide 5-6
 TREES' ROLES

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Lesson 1: Me As a Tree N Page 34 N LEAF Guide 5-6